Happy Game
Developer: Amanita Design
Publisher: Amanita Design
October 28, 2021
“A little boy falls asleep to a horrible nightmare. Can you make him happy again?”
When I saw the art style, my mind went, “wait. This looks so familiar. Where have I seen this before?” Then I saw Amanita Design made a game I once saw all over YouTube: CHUCHEL (spelled in all caps, just like that). I remember loving those graphics, so I went into “Happy Game” already pleased, without playing a single minute. You’re looking at a sucker for cool art styles. Well, not looking at, but, you get what I mean.
Reading along the Steam page for the game got me incredibly intrigued with the little snippets they gave, describing the game, like, “deal with suspicious smiley faces and pink bunnies,” and the warning, “Please note: Happy Game is not a happy game.”
I love a dark story matched with peppy colors. It clashes, but it’s an aesthetic I’ve come to love (we can blame “Invader Zim” and “Lenore the Cute Little Dead Girl” for that).
The controls of the game are very simple: it’s all your mouse (point and click/ click and drag). I’m rusty with gaming so my hand/arm did get tired after a while (especially when I had to restart a level), but simple controls are most welcome now-a-days.
The music was more atmospheric than in your face. It was subtle and enhanced the scene, rather than it being the scene. Rousing scores in games can be nice, but sometimes it’s preferable when the music takes a back seat to the actual gameplay.
The art style, was great! Soft around the edges, but conveyed a nightmare even when the scenery was bright and colorful. I’m always a sucker for unique art styled (as previously mentioned), and this style was awesome. A very cute nightmare.
As stated on the Steam page and as the game starts, Happy Game is NOT a happy game. It looks fluffy on the outside, but quickly devolves into a nightmare. Just be aware there ARE some flashing lights that can disorient, so if that bothers you or are prone to epilepsy, proceed with caution, or avoid all together.
Happy Game is a really cool indie style game. Completely recommend.